GOLD RIVER, Calif. – The Seattle Pacific University women's rowing team put three boats in the grand final of the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships, with the Falcons Varsity 8+ taking a team-best third place in their race on Sunday.
"Overall the team had a strong performance at WIRAs," head coach Caitlin McClain said. "Notably, the V8+ had the best result, earning a bronze medal with a gutsy race that unlocked a new level of speed for them - beating their season-best time from the heat with a 6:58.8. The crew had an inspiring meeting the night before the final and they all committed to the goal of striving for more. Their mentality, execution, and trust in each other was very impressive and reflected in their result."
The V8+ put together a solid weekend at the WIRA Championships. SPU clocked a 6:59.12 to finish second in Saturday's heat race. On Sunday, the Falcons squared off against Western Washington and Cal Poly Humboldt for the top spot in Sunday's grand final. The Falcons bested their heat time with a 6:58.80 but finished third in the race. The Vikings won the race at 6:46.70 while the Lumberjacks took second place.
SPU's second V8+ boat advanced to the grand final as well. The Falcons battled UCI, WWU, and UCSB for the top spot in Sunday's race. SPU finished in 7:46.96 and took fourth place. SPU knocked nearly a second off their time from Saturday's heat races. The Golden Eagles won the race with a 7:20.22.
"The 2V8+ and Novice 4+ had the greatest challenges from club programs in addition to the usual DII competition," McClain said. "Similar to the V4+, the 2V8+ was a new lineup and hadn't raced together until the seeding heat on Saturday. They did a good job of building off the first race to improve in the final."
The V4+ boat qualified for the grand final after posting a 7:53.48 on Saturday. The Falcons rowed to an 8:00.01 in Sunday's final for a fifth-place finish. The Lumberjacks won the race with a 7:41.28.
"While not in a medaling position, the V4+ had a great race and placed 5th among a competitive field of 19 entries," McClain said. "With two new people in the boat since UCO Invite, they've done a good job coming together quickly and were just three seconds off of Western."
"The Novice 4+, featuring two athletes who doubled up in the 2V8+, raced a mix of DI, DII, and club programs in the heat and just missed out on the top 2 qualifying spots for the Grand Final," McClain added. "They had a two-hour break before their Petite Final where they placed 2nd. This group of true novice walk-ons has come far since taking their first strokes in October."
The Falcons look forward to their final regular-season race on Saturday, May 3, at 10:15 a.m., when they compete in the Windermere Cup in Seattle on the Montlake Cut.
LINEUPS
VARSITY 8+
c: Aleksia Haugen, 8: Amelia Pape, 7: Emma Jones, 6: Audrey Rekedal, 5: Solanes Capps-Mace, 4: Bella Lisenby, 3: Grace Combs, 2: Gem Gatmaytan, 1: Addie Clark
Varsity 4+
c: Lexi Roybal, 4: Megan Rouse, 3: Emma Ely, 2: Emmerson Spencer, 1: Brittan Dalberg
JV8+
c: Mary Goodhew, 8: Racquel Wesley, 7: Mia Vittori, 6: Jadyn Hawley, 5: Jasmine Crisan, 4: Rachael Termure, 3: Freya Myers-Arnoult, 2: Elizabeth Chapman, 1: Faith Akutagawa
Novice 4+
c: Sasha Kolobovnikov, 4: Rachael Termure, 3: Jasmine Crisan, 2: Erica Fisher, 1: Karisma Magana
SPU SOCIAL
Seattle's only NCAA Division II Scholarship Program | #GoFalcons
